It's like this, cat

rom kindergarten. Nick lives around the corner on Third Avenue, upstairs over the grocery store his old man

we rode way over to Twelfth Avenue at the Hudson River, where the Queen Mary docks. This is about the only time I remember my mom getting really angry. She said Pop ought to

ed along, wanting to play with us, and of course in the end he always fouled up the game or fell down and started to cry. Then his big

hings like throwing sticks into our bike spokes and pretending it was just a joke. Nick and I used to plot all kinds of ways to get even with them, but in the end we mostly d

some strange kid my age up there, he almost always tries to get me into a fight. I don't get it. Maybe it's because sidewalks a

iting the super at Forty-six. It was so easy to get him sore, it wasn't even fun. Cat stayed out of tha

er and tied it on the back of my bike. He meowed a lot, and people on th

ever did. I looked around and thought, Gee, if I let him loose, he could go anywhere, even over into the woods, and I might never catch him. There were a lot of hoody looking kids arou

et an idea. I find Nick and say, "Let's put Cat and some

ng Cat? He wrecked

entral Park. No one's at Coney this time of year. He

ick moans. "Well, anyway, I'm keeping my sand

you keep your c

at the ocean, it's the same ocean as on a deserted beach. I kick off my shoes and stand with my feet in the ice water and the sun hot on my chest. Looking out

y time a wave catches his feet he hisses and hightails it up the beach. Then he rolls himself in the hot, dry sand and gets up and shakes. There are a few other groups of people dotted along the beach. A big mutt dog comes and sniffs Cat and gets a

our basket. One yells to the others, "Hey

f around on my sweater until he is settled for a nap. I

a year ago. Then Nick and I would either have m

d do I think they are. I can't tell about girls. Some of the ones in our class at school look abou

ick's eye and giggles. "Hi

her," says Nick.

eader is a big blonde in a real short skirt and hair piled up high in a bird's nest. Maybe that's

s? You can have mine. I'm goi

"I was thinking of go

g? You might hurt your

okes Cat between the ears very ge

ose. Cat makes a couple of sleepy swipes at it and then stretches luxuriously while she strokes him. The

stay there alone with the girls, so I say I'll go. I tell Nick to watch Cat,

s to pay me back for, Nick and the other two girls are halfway down the beach. Mary-that's her n

of a nut about cats. Come on, I'll see if I can get

e other kids come back. The big blonde ki

r and we both fall down. This seems to be what she had in mind, but I bet the oth

onde and the redhead say th

on?" N

neighborhood," the blonde tell

Besides, it's too late. Mom'd t

t cat was a mis

" says the redhead. She comes over and trickles sand down my neck. "Come on,

I get up and sha

says to the blonde, "Write me down your phone number, and we

not asking for hers. The girls get ready to leave, and Mary pats C

rossly at being shut in his basket.

nuisance